Current Generation Architecture for an Implantable Stimulator Device Having Coarse and Fine Current Control

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is a current generation architecture for an implantable stimulator device such as an Implantable Pulse Generator (IPG). Current source and sink circuitry are both divided into coarse and fine portions, which respectively can provide a coarse and fine current resolution to a specified electrode on the IPG. The coarse portion is distributed across all of the electrodes and so can source or sink current to any of the electrodes. The coarse portion is divided into a plurality of stages, each of which is capable via an associated switch bank of sourcing or sinking a coarse amount of current to or from any one of the electrodes on the device. The fine portion of the current generation circuit preferably includes source and sink circuitry dedicated to each of the electrode on the device, which can comprise digital-to-analog current converters (DACs). The DACs also receives the above-noted reference current, which is amplified by the DACs in fine increments by appropriate selection of fine current control signals. When the coarse and fine current control circuitry are used in tandem, ample current with a fine current resolution can be achieved at any electrode and in a space- and power-efficient manner.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/550,763, filed Oct. 18, 2006, which in turn is a continuation-in-partof U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/177,503, filed Jul. 8, 2005.Priority is claimed to both of these applications, and both areincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to implantable stimulatordevices, e.g., a pulse generator used for example in a Spinal CordStimulation (SCS) system. More particularly, the present inventionrelates to the current source/sink architecture used to supply currentsto/from the electrodes of the device.

BACKGROUND

Implantable stimulation devices are devices that generate and deliverelectrical stimuli to body nerves and tissues for the therapy of variousbiological disorders, such as pacemakers to treat cardiac arrhythmia,defibrillators to treat cardiac fibrillation, cochlear stimulators totreat deafness, retinal stimulators to treat blindness, musclestimulators to produce coordinated limb movement, spinal cordstimulators to treat chronic pain, cortical and deep brain stimulatorsto treat motor and psychological disorders, and other neural stimulatorsto treat urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, shoulder sublaxation, etc.The present invention may find applicability in all such applications,although the description that follows will generally focus on the use ofthe invention within a Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) system, such asthat disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,227 (“the '227 patent”), issuedFeb. 4, 2003 in the name of Paul Meadows et al., which is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

Spinal cord stimulation is a well-accepted clinical method for reducingpain in certain populations of patients. As shown in FIG. 1, a SCSsystem typically includes an Implantable Pulse Generator (IPG) 100,which includes a biocompatible case 116 formed of titanium for example.The case 116 holds the circuitry and power source or battery necessaryfor the IPG to function. The IPG 100 is coupled to electrodes 106 viaone or more electrode leads (two such leads 102 and 104 are shown), suchthat the electrodes 106 form an electrode array 110. The electrodes 106are carried on a flexible body 108, which also houses the individualsignal wires 112, 114, coupled to each electrode. The signal wires 112,114 are in turn connected to the IPG 100 by way of an interface 115,which allows the leads 102 and 104 to be removably connected to the IPG110. Exemplary connector arrangements are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.6,609,029 and 6,741,892, which are incorporated herein by reference. Inthe illustrated embodiment, there are eight electrodes on lead 102,labeled E₁-E₈, and eight electrodes on lead 104, labeled E₉-E₁₆,although the number of leads and electrodes is application specific andtherefore can vary.

The electrode array 110 is typically implanted along the dura of thespinal cord, and the IPG 100 generates electrical pulses that aredelivered through the electrodes 106 to the nerve fibers within thespinal column.

Further details concerning the structure and function of typical IPGs,as well as IPG systems including telemetry and powering/rechargingdetails, are disclosed in many of the documents incorporated byreference into this disclosure, with which the reader is assumedfamiliar.

An IPG 100 may include current source/sink circuitry that is configuredto supply/receive stimulating current to/from the electrodes 106 on theIPG, and ultimately to/from tissue. For example, FIG. 2 shows anexemplary current source 500 and a corresponding current sink 501 usedto stimulate tissue, exemplified generically as a load 505 (R). As oneskilled in the art will understand, transistors M1 and M3 in the currentsource 500, and transistors M2 and M4 in the current sink 501, comprisea current mirror. However, other current source or sink circuitry can beused, such as that disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/138,632 (“the '632 application”), filed May 26, 2005, which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Both the source 500 and sink 501 are coupled to a current generator 506configured to generate a reference current, I_(ref). A suitablereference current generator is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,969(“the '969 patent”), issued Jan. 30, 2001 in the name of inventor JohnC. Gord, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Thereference current in both the current source/sink 500/501 is input intoa digital-to-analog converter (DAC) configured to regulate the currentthat is sourced to or sunk from the load 505. Thus, source circuitry 500employs DAC circuitry 502, while sink circuitry 501 employs DACcircuitry 503.

DAC circuitry 502, 503 is configured to regulate and/or amplify I_(ref)and to output an output current I_(out). Specifically, the relationbetween I_(out) and I_(ref) is determined in accordance with inputcontrol bits arriving on busses 513, 513′, which gives DAC circuitry502, 503 its digital-to-analog functionality. Essentially, in accordancewith the values of the various M control bits on bus 513, any number ofoutput stages (i.e., transistors M1, M2) are tied together in parallelsuch that I_(out) can range from I_(ref) to 2^(M)*I_(ref) in incrementsof I_(ref), as will be explained in further detail later with referenceto FIG. 4.

As shown in FIG. 2 for simplicity, current source circuitry 500 iscoupled to an electrode E_(X) on the IPG device 100, while current sinkcircuitry 501 is coupled to a different electrode E_(Y) on the IPGdevice. However, in accordance with the approach disclosed in the '969patent, each electrode on the device is actually hard-wired to both ancurrent source 500 and an current sink 501, only one (or neither) ofwhich is activated at a particular time to allow the electrode toselectively be used as either a source or sink (or as neither). This isshown in FIG. 3, which shows four exemplary electrodes E₁, E₂, E₃, andE₄, each having their own dedicated and hard-wired current source 500and sink 501 circuitry. A primary clinical benefit of having the abilitycontrol current on each electrode is that it allows precise shaping ofthe electric field used for stimulation from the array of electrodes.Systems without this ability have less control of the field and aresubject to variations and changes in impedance among electrodes.

The current source 500 and sink 501 circuitry hard-wired at eachelectrode are sometimes respectively referred to as PDACs and NDACs,reflecting the fact that the sources 500 are typically formed of P-typetransistors while the sinks 501 are typically formed of N-typetransistors. The use of transistors of these polarities is sensiblegiven that the source is biased to a high voltage (V+), where P-typetransistors are most logical, while the sink is biased to a low voltage(V−), where N-type transistors are most logical, as shown in FIG. 2. Thesubstrate connection (not shown) for the transistors would typically betied to the appropriate power supply, either V+ or V−, but could also betied to the transistors' sources.

As shown in FIG. 3, the current sources (PDACs) and sinks (NDACs) activeat any given time can be programmed. Thus, as shown, the sourcecircuitry at electrode E₂ on the IPG is currently active, while the sinkcircuitry at electrode E₃ is also currently active. At a later time,electrodes E₂ and E₃ could be switched such that E₂ now operates as thesink, while E₃ operates as the source, or new sources or sinks could bechosen, etc., depending on how the logic in the IPG is programmed inaccordance with optimal therapy for the patient in which the IPG isimplanted.

A consequence of this architecture is that, as mentioned, each electrodehas its own dedicated source (i.e., PDAC) and sink (i.e., NDAC)circuitry. Further details of such dedicated current source circuitry500 for a particular electrode (e.g., E_(X)) as disclosed in the '969patent is shown in FIG. 4. Dedicated current sink circuitry 501 for eachelectrode, similar to the current source circuitry 500 but differing inpolarity (see e.g., FIG. 2), would likewise be hardwired to theelectrode E_(X), but is not shown for convenience in FIG. 4. (However,both the source and sink circuitry are shown in a simplified manner inFIG. 7). Also not shown for convenience is the presence of a couplingcapacitor typically hardwired at each electrode Ex (see '969 patent,FIG. 3, element 203).

The source circuitry of FIG. 4 can be programmed to output a sourcecurrent of a particular magnitude. Specifically, the circuitry as shownis capable of outputting to the electrode Ex a current I_(out) rangingfrom I_(ref) to 127I_(ref) in increments of I_(ref), depending on thestatus of the control bits (Bit<1:M>). This occurs as follows: eachcontrol bit, when selected, contributes 2^((M-1)) worth of current tothe output current, I_(out), through activation of pass transistors 530in each of the M stages that comprise the current source. For example,if a current of 53I_(ref) is desired at I_(out), control bits Bit<1, 3,5, 6> would be enabled (active low) to turn on transistors 530 ₁, 530 ₃,530 ₅, and 530 ₆, which respectively contribute I_(ref), 4I_(ref),16I_(ref) and 32I_(ref), in sum, 53I_(ref). Although each stage is shownas having its own current source I_(ref), it would usually be the casethat each stage taps into a singular reference current (not shown forconvenience), which is preferred to ensure current uniformity across thestages.

However, this current source/sink architecture of FIGS. 3 and 4 does notcomprise an efficient use of space on the integrated circuit in the IPGon which the current source/sink circuitry is fabricated. In a typicalSCS system implementation, the IPG might contain 16 electrodes, E₁through E₁₆. However, it is usually the case that only one PDAC (source)and one NDAC (sink) are active at one time. Or, more rarely, four ormore PDACs (sources) or NDACs (sinks) might be active at one time. Evenin such an extreme case, it will be noted that the majority of the PDACs(source) and NDACs (sinks) are inactive. Furthermore, even for thoseelectrodes that are active at a particular time, only one of the source500 or sink 501 circuitry for that electrode can be active. The resultis that, most of the time, most of the PDACs or NDACs in the IPG 100 arenot being utilized. When one considers that the PDACs or NDACs take upsignificant space on the integrated circuit (see FIG. 4), the provisionof such redundancy for every electrode seems inefficient.

Another current source/sink architecture is disclosed in theabove-incorporated '227 patent, and in particular in FIG. 4A of the '227patent, salient aspects of which are summarized in the presentapplication in FIGS. 5 and 6. As shown in FIG. 5, the architecture ofthe '227 patent also uses a plurality of current sources and sinks, andfurther uses a low impedance switching matrix that intervenes betweenthe sources/sinks and the electrodes E_(X). Notice that each source/sinkpair is hard-wired together at nodes 333, such that the switching matrixintervenes between the common nodes 333 and the electrodes. Of course,only one of the source or the sink in each pair is activated at onetime, and thus point 333 in any pair will source or sink current at anyparticular time. Through appropriate control of the switching matrix,any of the nodes 333 (and hence any of the PDAC/NDAC pairs) may beconnected to any of the electrodes E_(X) at any time.

While generally a suitable architecture, the architecture of FIGS. 5 and6 suffer from drawbacks. For one, this architecture puts additionalresistance—namely the resistance of the switches in the switchingmatrix—in the output path between the power supply in the DAC circuitryand the electrode. As explained in the above-incorporated '632application, it is generally desired to minimize resistance between thepower supply and the electrode. Thus, and referring to FIG. 6, whichshows the architecture of FIG. 5 in further detail, it is desired thatthe resistance be minimized in the output path between the power supplyV+ or V− and a given electrode E_(X). This is because any resistance inthe output path will give rise to a voltage drop in the output path (theoutput path resistance times I_(out)) which is not otherwise useful inthe context of the circuitry. But in the architecture of FIGS. 5 and 6,it can be seen that three elements are serially connected between thepower supplies and the electrode: the current mirror, the bit selecttransistor, and the transistor (switch) in the low impedance switchmatrix. Due to the additional resistances of these components, andspecifically the additional resistance of the switches in the switchmatrix, power (i.e., the output path resistance times I_(out) ²) iswasted. In an implantable stimulator device, such unnecessary power lossis regrettable, because battery life in such devices is critical andbeneficially made as long as possible.

Moreover, the architecture of FIGS. 5 and 6 is further inefficient froma layout perspective. Due to the common node 333 between a given PDACsource and NDAC sink pair, only one DAC in each pair can be active atany time. Thus, and like the architecture of FIGS. 3 and 4, DACcircuitry is guaranteed to go unused at any particular time. Morespecifically, at least 50% of the DAC circuitry (the unselected DAC in apair), and likely more, will go unused at any given time, which again isa wasteful use of layout on the integrated circuit.

In short, the implantable stimulator art, or more specifically the IPGor SCS system art, would be benefited by an architecture that allowsvariable currents to be provided at a number of electrodes, but in amore space-efficient manner.

Additionally, such an improved architecture would also preferably allowfor fine adjustments to the current to be sourced or sunk. In thisregard, it has been recognized in the art that it can be beneficial tofinely adjust the amount of current sourced or sunk at a particularelectrode in increments less than I_(ref). For example, in theabove-reference '969 patent, and as shown here in FIG. 7, it isdisclosed that the source/sink circuitry 500/501 can include a stage orstages 550 which provide a fraction of the reference current, I_(ref).These stages 550, are controlled by another control bit, Bit<0>(designated as “0+” for the source and “0−” for the sink). Specifically,it is noted in the '969 patent that fractional values of (½)^(m) (i.e.,½*I_(ref), ¼*I_(ref), ⅛*I_(ref), etc.) or 1/m (e.g., ½*I_(ref),⅓*I_(ref), etc.), or multiple values thereof, can be provided by stageor stages 550. See '969 patent, col. 6, 1. 43 to col. 7, 1. 6.

By providing the ability to include fractions of the reference current,I_(ref), in the overall current, fine adjustments (via stages 550) canbe made to the otherwise coarse current adjustments provided by theremainder of the circuitry. However, the overall result is still onewhich is not terribly space efficient, because, as noted above, much ofthe current source and sink circuitry is guaranteed to be unused at anygiven time.

SUMMARY

Disclosed herein is a current generation architecture for an implantablestimulator device such as an Implantable Pulse Generator (IPG) or morespecifically for a Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) system. In thearchitecture, current source and sink circuitry are both divided intocoarse and fine portions, which respectively have the ability to providea coarse and a fine amount of current to a specified electrode on theIPG.

The coarse portion of the current generation circuitry is distributedacross all of the electrodes and so can source or sink current to any ofthe electrodes. Specifically, the coarse portion is divided into aplurality of stages, each of which is capable via an associated switchbank of sourcing or sinking an amount of current to or from any one ofthe electrodes on the device. Each stage is preferably formed of acurrent mirror for receiving a reference current and outputting acurrent to that stage's switch bank. The output current in the stagepreferably represents a scaled version of the reference current, i.e.,the output current comprises the reference current times a scalar at thestage, which can be set by wiring a desired number of output transistorsin the current mirror in parallel. In a preferred embodiment, thescalars of the different stages are uniformly set to provide a coarseincrement of the reference current to the switch banks, and hence to anyof the electrodes.

The fine portion of the current generation circuitry, in the preferredembodiment, includes source and sink circuitry dedicated to each of theelectrode on the device. The dedicated circuitry preferably comprisesdigital-to-analog current converters (DACs). The DACs include a currentmirror and also receive the above-noted reference current. The referencecurrent is amplified in the DACs in fine increments by appropriateselection of fine current control signals. When the coarse and finecurrent control circuitry are used in tandem, sufficient current withfine current control can be achieved at any electrode and in a space-and power-efficient manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects of the present invention will be moreapparent from the following more particular description thereof,presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary implantable pulse generator (IPG) and itsassociated electrode array in accordance with the prior art.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary prior art current source and a correspondingcurrent sink for an IPG, each having current digital-to-analog converter(DAC) circuitry in series with a load.

FIG. 3 shows a prior art architecture for coupling current sources andsinks to a plurality of electrodes using hard-wired dedicated circuitryat each electrode.

FIG. 4 shows the layout complexity of one of the current sources of FIG.3.

FIG. 5 shows a prior art architecture for coupling current source andsinks to a plurality of electrodes using a switching matrix.

FIG. 6 shows drawbacks relating to the architecture of FIG. 5 relatingto unnecessary power consumption within the IPG.

FIG. 7 shows a prior art modification to the architecture of FIGS. 3 and4 in which a fractional amount of a reference current can be provided atan electrode.

FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrates an improved current source/sink architecturehaving both coarse and fine current control in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 shows the current mirror circuitry useable in the coarsecircuitry portion of the architecture of FIGS. 8A and 8B.

FIG. 10 shows the switch banks used in the coarse circuitry portion todistribute a coarse amount of current from any of the current mirrors toany of the electrodes.

FIG. 11 shows the PDAC used in the fine circuitry portion of thearchitecture of FIGS. 8A and 8B which is dedicated at each electrode.

FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate an alternative embodiment to that shown inFIGS. 8A and 8B in which two different reference currents are used forthe coarse and fine portions.

FIG. 13 illustrates the control signals necessary to operate thedisclosed embodiment of the current generation circuitry shown in FIGS.8A and 8B.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding componentsthroughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated forcarrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in alimiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing thegeneral principles of the invention. The scope of the invention shouldbe determined with reference to the claims and their equivalents.

At the outset, it is noted that the present invention may be used withan implantable pulse generator (IPG), or similar electrical stimulatorand/or electrical sensor, that may be used as a component of numerousdifferent types of stimulation systems. The description that followsrelates to use of the invention within a spinal cord stimulation (SCS)system. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not solimited. Rather, the invention may be used with any type of implantableelectrical circuitry that could benefit from efficient currentsource/sink circuitry. For example, the present invention may be used aspart of a pacemaker, a defibrillator, a cochlear stimulator, a retinalstimulator, a stimulator configured to produce coordinated limbmovement, a cortical and deep brain stimulator, or in any other neuralstimulator configured to treat urinary incontinence, sleep apnea,shoulder sublaxation, etc.

As noted earlier, exemplary embodiments of the present invention involvethe architecture used in the current source and sink circuitry, whichare sometimes respectively referred to as the PDAC and NDAC circuitry.Previous approaches were summarized in the Background section of thisdisclosure. But as noted, these architectures suffered from variousdrawbacks.

A new and improved current generation architecture is illustrated inFIGS. 8-13. The new architecture, like previous architectures, employscurrent source and current sink circuitry, respectively labeled in FIGS.8A and 8B as circuitry 400 and 401, which would logically be implementedfor example on analog IC. As shown, the source circuitry 400 is in solidlines while the sink circuitry 401 is illustrated in mere dotted lines.However, the sink circuitry 401, while not specifically discussed, issimilar in design and function to the source circuitry 400, althoughdiffering in polarity (e.g., connection to negative power supply V−, useof N-channel transistors, etc.). In other words, for simplicity, and toavoid redundancy, the source circuitry 400 is specifically discussed inthis disclosure, although it should be understood that the sinkcircuitry 401 is similar in all material respects and of equalimportance.

As is unique to the new architecture, each of the source/sink circuitry400/401 is divided into two parts: a coarse portion 402 (FIG. 8A) and afine portion 403 (FIG. 8B). As its name suggests, the coarse portion 402allows a coarse amount of current to be provided to a particularelectrode. In other words, the amount of current which can be programmedto be source or sunk at a particular electrode by the coarse portion 402is incrementable in relatively-large increments. By contrast, the amountof current which can be programmed to be sourced or sunk at a particularelectrode by the fine portion 403 is incrementable in relatively-smallincrements. Having both coarse and fine portions 402 and 403 allows forefficient and dynamic control of the current at a particular electrode,as will be explained further below.

Because they are different in their architecture and operation, thecoarse and fine portions 402/403 of the current circuitry are separatelydiscussed, with the coarse portion 402 discuss first.

Unlike the prior art architecture of FIGS. 3 and 4, the coarse currentcircuitry 402 preferably does not involve dedicating or hard-wiringsource and sink circuitry to each electrode E₁ through E_(N) on the IPG100. Instead, the coarse portion 402 of the source and sink circuitry400, 401 is shared or distributed amongst the various electrodes via anetwork of switch banks 405, as will be explained below.

As shown, the source circuitry 400 comprises various current mirrors 410and various switch banks 405. Specifically, there are L number ofcurrent mirrors 410 and switch banks 405. Each switch bank comprises Nswitches, which corresponds to the number of electrodes on the IPG 100.Thus, there are a total of N*L switches 417 in the switch banks 405,controlled by N*L control signals (C_(N,L)). As shown in FIG. 10, thecontrol signals to the switches 417 may need to be level shifted to DCvalues appropriate for the switches 417, which can easily occur vialevel shifters 415, as one skilled in the art will understand. Theswitches 417 are preferably single transistors of a logical polaritydepending on whether they are present in the source circuitry 400(P-channels) or the sink circuitry 401 (N-channels). However, otherstructures could also be used for the switches 417, such as pass gatesor transmission gates, etc.

The current mirrors 410 in the coarse portion 402 receive a referencecurrent, I_(ref). Because it may be useful to set this reference currentto a particular value, a PDAC 407 can be used to convert an initialreference current I₁ to the true reference current I_(ref) sent to eachof the current mirrors 410. The PDAC 407 can comprise any structureknown in the art for programming the amplification of a current on thebasis of digital inputs. For example, the PDAC can be constructed as inFIG. 4. As shown, the PDAC 407 scales the initial reference current I₁by a factor of Z to produce the true reference current I_(ref). In thisway, the currents ultimately sent to the electrodes can be further (andglobally) varied by adjusting the gain of the PDAC 407. If smallercurrent resolutions are required in both the coarse and fine portions402 and 403, Z can be reduced through appropriate digital control of thePDAC. If higher total currents are required, Z can likewise beincreased. Additionally, because PDAC 407 is digitally controllable, itcan be controlled to different values at different points in time. Thisbeing said however, PDAC 407 is not required in all embodiments of theinvention, and the reference current I_(ref) can be provided indifferent ways.

The various current mirrors 410 take the reference current I_(ref) andscale that current to produce currents of desired magnitudes in each ofthe L stages of the coarse portion 402. Thus, the first stage scalesI_(ref) by A₁, the second by A₂, and so on. The various scalars A₁, A₂,. . . A_(L), can be different or can be the same in each of the stages.For example the scalars can exponentially increase (A₁=1, A₂=2, A₃=4,A₄=8, etc.), or linearly increase (A₁=1, A₂=2, A₃=3, etc.), or can staythe same. (In this sense, a current can be said to be “scaled” even ifthe scalar at the stage equals one).

In an exemplary embodiment, each of the scalars A₁ to A_(L) are set tothe same value of 5 and thus each of the L stages outputs the sameamount of current (5I_(ref)) to their respective switch banks 405. Toset this amount of gain at each of the L stages, five transistors 413are placed in parallel with the balancing transistor 414 in the outputstages of the current mirrors 410, as is shown in FIG. 9. However, itshould be noted that current mirrors 410 are simply one example of acurrent converter, i.e., a circuit used to convert one current (I_(ref))to another current (A_(x)I_(ref)). Many other circuits capable ofperforming this function are known in the art, as thus the use ofcurrent mirrors in each stage should be understood as merely exemplary.

In further distinction to the architecture of FIGS. 3 and 4, note thatthe current mirrors 410 in the coarse current circuitry 402 are notindividually selectable in and of themselves, i.e., they do not have bitselect transistors as in the DACs of FIGS. 3 and 4. They are always onand supplying current to the switch banks 405, with selection or not ofa particular current mirror 410's current occurring in its given switchbank 405.

As shown in FIGS. 8A and 10, and as noted previously, each of the Lswitch banks 405 contains N switches, S_(N), each of which is capable ofrouting the output current from its current mirror 410 _(x)(A_(x)I_(ref)) to any of the electrodes E_(X) on the IPG 100, dependingon the status of the coarse current control signals C_(N,L). Thus, ineach stage X, control signal C_(Y,X) can send that stage's current toE_(Y). In other words, each stage is controllable to send its outputcurrent to more than one of the electrodes and thus can affect thecurrent at any given electrode, and multiple stages can work together toproduce a current at a given electrode.

For example, assume each current mirror 410 has a scalar A=5, such thateach sends 5I_(ref) to its respective switch bank 405. Assume furtherthat there are 19 stages, such that all current mirrors 410 together cansupply a maximum current of 95I_(ref). If a current of 50I_(ref) wasdesired at electrode E₂, switches 417 could be closed in any 10 of thestages: the first 10 stages (C_(2,1) to C_(2,10)); the last 10 stages,(C_(2,10) to C_(2,19)); etc. Similarly, multiple electrodes can bestimulated at the same time. For example, suppose 50I_(ref) is desiredat electrode E₂; 10I_(ref) at electrode E₅, and 15I_(ref) at electrodeE₈. This could be achieved by simultaneously activating the followingcoarse control signals: (C_(2,1) to C_(2,10)), (C_(5,11) to C_(5,12)),(C_(8,13) to C_(8,15)). Of course, at some point the total amount ofcurrent that can be sourced from the source circuitry 400 (or sunk tothe sink circuitry 401) at any given time will be dictated by the loadthat the compliance voltage V+can handle.

Not every stage L would necessarily require N switches. For example, agiven stage might comprise less than N switches, foregoing the abilityto send that stage's current to a particular electrode E_(X). Moreover,it is not necessary that every Xth switch in the switch banks 405provide current to the Xth electrode, E_(X). In short, while FIG. 8Aillustrates a preferred embodiment, other designs are possible thatstill achieve the benefits of the architecture disclosed herein.

Because the gain in each of the current mirrors 410 in the exemplaryembodiment is A=5, the minimum current resolution provided by any one ofthe L current mirrors 410 is 5I_(ref), which can be considered as acoarse current resolution of the coarse portion 402 of the currentsource circuitry 400. Accordingly, to additionally provide the abilityto make fine adjustments to the current provided at the electrodes, finecurrent source and sink circuitry 403 is also provided.

As shown in FIG. 8B, and unlike the coarse portion 402, fine portion 403is preferably hard-wired to each of the N electrodes. In this respect,the fine portion 403 is similar to architecture of FIGS. 3 and 4, whichlikewise used dedicated source and sink circuitry at each electrode. Asnoted in the discussion of the architecture of FIGS. 3 and 4, the use ofdedicated source and sink circuitry at each electrode can be inefficient(guaranteed unused circuitry, etc.). However, any inefficiency in thisregard is offset by the concurrent use of the coarse circuitry 402 toset the current at any given electrode, as will be explained below.

In a preferred embodiment, and as shown in FIG. 8B, the fine portion 403of the source circuitry 400 comprises a PDAC 409 at each electrode.(Additionally, each electrode will also preferably have a correspondingNDAC for sinking current, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 8B, but notdiscussed for simplicity). Such PDACs 409 may be similar in design andarchitecture to the PDAC 407 used to set the reference current, I_(ref)(see FIG. 8A), but again any current generation circuitry can be used.

A preferred embodiment for the PDACs 409 used in the fine portion 403 ofthe source circuitry 400 is shown in FIG. 11. As can be seen both inFIGS. 8B and 11, each PDAC 409 receives the reference current from PDAC407, I_(ref) (see FIG. 8A), as well as fine current control signals(F_(J,N)) used to set the amount of current output by each PDAC 409. AsFIG. 11 shows, each PDAC 409 preferably constitutes a current mirrorhaving a balancing transistor 424 and a plurality (J) of outputtransistors 422 (stages), each gated by one of J control signals(F_(1,X) to F_(J,X)). Each of the output transistors 422 are connectedin parallel, and are allowed to contribute I_(ref) (i.e., the inputcurrent) to the output current, depending on which of the selectiontransistors 431 are selected by fine current control signals F_(J,N).

Because they are wired in parallel, the more fine current controlsignals enabled for any given stage, the higher the current output forthat stage, which in effect sets the gain B for that stage. For example,if only F_(1,X) is enabled for a given stage, then the current outputfrom that stage equals I_(ref) (i.e., B=1). If F_(1,X) and F_(2,X) areenabled, then the current output for stage (electrode) X equals 2I_(ref)(i.e., B=2), etc. In a preferred embodiment, J=4, such that there arefour output transistors 431 in each stage, and therefore each stage(PDAC) 409 can output a maximum current of 4I_(ref), which of courserequires that all fine current control signals (i.e., F_(1,X) thoughtF_(J,X)) for a given stage (electrode) be activated. If necessary, levelshifters 430 can be used to convert the fine control signals toappropriate levels to control the switches 431.

In other words, depending on the status of the control signals F_(J,N)for each electrode, a minimum of 0I_(ref) and a maximum of 4I_(ref), inincrements of I_(ref), can be sourced by the fine portion 403 of thecurrent source circuitry 400 for any given electrode E_(X). (Again, thesink circuitry 401 would be similar). Note therefore that the fineportion 403 have a current resolution, I_(ref), which is smaller thanthe current resolution of the coarse portion 402, 5I_(ref). Because ofthis different in resolution, both portions can be used simultaneouslyto set a particular current at a given electrode. For example, andreturning to the example illustrated in the Background, assume that itis desired to source a current of 53I_(ref) at electrode E₂. In such anembodiment, any ten of the current sources 410 can be activated via thecoarse control signals corresponding to electrode E₂ (C_(X,2)) toprovide 50I_(ref) to electrode E₂. Likewise, any of three fine currentcontrol signals corresponding to electrode E₂ (F_(X,2)) can be activatedto provide an additional 3I_(ref) worth of current in addition to the50I_(ref) provided by the coarse portion, resulting in the desired totalcurrent of 53I_(ref).

Of course, the electrode-dedicated PDACs 409 can provide a fine currentresolution using other designs, and the particular design of the PDACsis not critical to embodiments of the invention.

As one skilled in the art will appreciate, it is a matter of designchoice as to how many coarse stages L are used, and how many fine stagesJ are used, and these values may be subject to optimization. However, ifit is assumed that J stages are used in the fine portion 403, then thenumber of stages L used in the coarse portion 402 is preferably equal to(100/(J+1))−1. Thus, if J equals 4, the number of stages L will be equalto 19, thereby allowing the coarse portion 402 to supply approximately95% of the current range to any electrode E_(X) with a resolution ofapproximately 5%. In this case, the fine portion 403 suppliesapproximately the remaining 5% of the current to any electrode E_(X) atthe higher resolution of approximately 1%. However, these values aremerely exemplary.

As shown in the Figures, it is preferred to use the same referencecurrent, I_(ref), as the input to the current mirrors 410 in the coarseportion 402 and the PDACs 409 in the fine portion. However, this is notstrictly necessary. For example, in FIGS. 12A and 12B, two PDACs 407 cand 407 f are used to respectively set different reference currents,I_(ref1) and I_(ref2), in the coarse and fine portions 402 and 403. Byprogramming the PDACs 407 c and 407 f accordingly, these two referencecurrents can be a scalar of each other (i.e., I_(ref1)=Q*I_(ref2)).Assume that I_(ref1) is 5 times the value of I_(ref2) (Q=5). Assumefurther that only a single output transistor 413 (FIG. 9) is used in thecurrent mirrors 410 in the coarse portion 402. Using these assumptions,the circuitry would operate as discussed earlier: each PDAC 409 in thefine portion 403 outputs a current with a fine resolution, I_(ref2),while each stage in the coarse portion 402 outputs a current with acoarse resolution, I_(ref1)=5I_(ref2). However, in such an embodiment,it would be necessary to isolate the coarse and fine portions 402 and403 and to provide isolated compliance voltages (power supplies), V1+and V2+, to each as shown.

Several benefits are had with the new current source/sink architectureof FIGS. 8-13.

First, by splitting the source 400 and sink 401 circuitry into coarse402 and fine 403 portions, the number of control signals is reducedversus schemes which offer only a unified resolution. The controlsignals necessary to operate and control the disclosed currentsource/sink circuitry are shown in FIG. 13. Shown are the coarse(C_(N,L)) and fine (F_(J,N)) control signals for both the sourcecircuitry (PDACs; designated with a “+”) and the sink circuitry (NDACs;designated with a “−”). These control signals are ultimately generatedby a microcontroller 570, which can be the microcontroller otherwiseused to implement the logic functions in the IPG. Alternatively, thecurrent source/sink circuitry can be implemented on an analog integratedcircuit, which receives the control signals from a digital integratedcircuit. Again, the specific details concerning the integration of thecurrent source/sink circuitry with the logic can occur in any number ofways, as one skilled in the art will readily recognize.

Second, and unlike the prior art architectures discussed earlier,circuitry is kept to a minimum through reduction of the use of dedicatedcircuitry which otherwise might be guaranteed to go unused at particularpoints in time. In large part, this benefit is the result of thedistributed nature of the coarse portion 402 of the circuitry across allof the electrodes. While the disclosed design does rely on the use ofsome dedicated circuitry—specifically, the fine portion 403—suchcircuitry is preferably kept to a minimum. In any event, such additionaldedicated circuitry amounts to a good trade off when it is recognizedthat this reduces the number of necessary control signals.

Third, as compared to the prior art switch matrix approach of FIGS. 5and 6, the new architectures of FIGS. 8-12 comprise one less componentin the output path, which reduces unwanted voltage drops in the outputpath and results in power savings. As can be seen with brief referenceto FIGS. 9 and 10, which shows the circuitry in the coarse portion 402,only two components intervene between the power supply V+ and a givenelectrode: the current mirror output transistor(s) 413 and the selectionswitches 417 from the switch banks 405. Moreover, as concerns the fineportion 403, shown in FIG. 11, again only two components intervenebetween the power supply V+ and a given electrode: the current mirroroutput transistors 422 and the selection switches 431. In addition toreducing the series resistance in the circuit by eliminating the seriesswitch matrix, the selection switches 417 linearize the current sources410 by reducing the Vds voltage drop across the current mirrors onelectrodes that require less compliance voltage than the difference ofV+ to V−. If it were not for the switches 417, the entire excesscompliance drop would be across the current mirror 410 and the currentwould tend to be a little higher than programmed on electrodes requiringless compliance voltage.

It should be understood that the direction in which current flows is arelative concept, and different conventions can be used to definewhether currents flow to or from various sources. In this regard, arrowsshowing the directions of current flows in the Figures, references tocurrent flowing to or form various circuit nodes, references to currentsbeing sunk or sourced, etc., should all be understood as relative andnot in any limiting sense.

It should also be understood that reference to an electrode implantableadjacent to tissue to be stimulated includes electrodes on theimplantable stimulator device, or associated electrode leads, or anyother structure for stimulating tissue.

Moreover, it should be understood that an electrode implantable adjacentto tissue to be stimulated is to be understood without regard to anyoutput capacitance, such as coupling capacitances C_(N) included in theheader connector 192 or elsewhere (see FIG. 7). This is so because itshould be understood that nodes on both sides of such a couplingcapacitor or other output impedance are, in the context of thisinvention, not materially different from an architectural standpoint,such that either node would be considered as the electrode nodeimplantable adjacent to tissue to be stimulated. The same would be truefor other impedances, e.g., if an output resistor was used in additionto or in lieu of a coupling capacitor.

While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means ofspecific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modificationsand variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the literal and equivalent scope of the invention setforth in the claims.

1. An implantable stimulator, comprising: a plurality of electrodenodes; a processor; and a stimulation generator coupled to the processorand the electrode nodes, the stimulation generator comprising: aplurality of negative electrical sources that are each directlyconnected to a different one of the plurality of electrode nodes; aswitching unit that is connected to each of the plurality of electrodenodes; and at least one positive electrical source connected to theswitching unit, wherein the switching unit is configured to connect theat least one positive electrical source to a selected one or more of theplurality of electrode nodes.
 2. The implantable stimulator of claim 1,wherein the processor controls the switching unit to connect the atleast one positive electrical source to the selected one or more of theplurality of electrode nodes.
 3. The implantable stimulator of claim 1,wherein one of the plurality of negative electrical sources is directlyconnected to a first electrode node in the plurality of electrode nodes,and wherein the switching unit is configured to connect the at least onepositive electrical source to a second electrode node in the pluralityof electrode nodes, such that a first electrode connected to the firstelectrode node comprises a cathode and a second electrode connected tothe second electrode node comprises an anode.
 4. The implantablestimulator of claim 1, wherein the at least one positive electricalsource comprises a plurality of positive electrical sources that areeach connected to the switching unit, and wherein the switching unit isconfigured to connect each of the plurality of positive electricalsources to a selected one of the plurality of electrode nodes.
 5. Theimplantable stimulator of claim 1, wherein the stimulation generatorfurther comprises: a second plurality of negative electrical sourcesthat are each directly connected to a different one of a secondplurality of electrode nodes; a second switching unit that is connectedto the second plurality of electrode nodes; and at least one additionalpositive electrical source connected to the second switching unit,wherein the second switching unit is configured to connect the at leastone additional positive electrical source to a selected one or more ofthe second plurality of electrode nodes.
 6. The implantable stimulatorof claim 1, further comprising at least one lead that includes aplurality of electrodes, each of the electrodes connected to arespective one of the plurality of electrode nodes.
 7. The implantablestimulator of claim 1, wherein the switching unit comprises at least onemultiplexer.
 8. The implantable stimulator of claim 1, wherein thestimulation generator comprises a pulse generator, and wherein theplurality of negative electrical sources and the at least one positiveelectrical source are each selected from a group consisting of a currentsource and a voltage source.
 9. A stimulation generator, comprising: aplurality of negative electrical sources that are each directlyconnected to a different one of a plurality of electrode nodes that arecoupled to the stimulation generator; a switching unit that is connectedto each of the plurality of electrode nodes; and at least one positiveelectrical source connected to the switching unit, wherein the switchingunit is configured to connect the at least one positive electricalsource to a selected one or more of the plurality of electrode nodes.10. The stimulation generator of claim 9, wherein one of the pluralityof negative electrical sources is directly connected to a firstelectrode nodes in the plurality of electrode nodes, and wherein theswitching unit is configured to connect the at least one positiveelectrical source to a second electrode nodes in the plurality ofelectrode nodes, such that a first electrode connected to the firstelectrode node comprises a cathode and a second electrode connected tothe second electrode node comprises an anode.
 11. The stimulationgenerator of claim 9, wherein the at least one positive electricalsource comprises a plurality of positive electrical sources that areeach connected to the switching unit, and wherein the switching unit isconfigured to connect each of the plurality of positive electricalsources to a selected one of the plurality of electrode nodes.
 12. Thestimulation generator of claim 9, wherein the stimulation generatorfurther comprises: a second plurality of negative electrical sourcesthat are each directly connected to a different one of a secondplurality of electrode nodes; a second switching unit that is connectedto the second plurality of electrode nodes; and at least one additionalpositive electrical source connected to the second switching unit,wherein the second switching unit is configured to connect the at leastone additional positive electrical source to a selected one or more ofthe second plurality of electrode nodes.
 13. The stimulation generatorof claim 9, wherein the switching unit comprises at least onemultiplexer.
 14. The stimulation generator of claim 9, wherein thestimulation generator comprises a pulse generator, and wherein theplurality of negative electrical sources and the at least one positiveelectrical source are each selected from a group consisting of a currentsource and a voltage source.
 15. A method, comprising: directlyconnecting each of a plurality of negative electrical sources in astimulation generator to a different one of a plurality of electrodenodes; connecting a switching unit in the stimulation generator to eachof the plurality of electrode nodes; and connecting at least onepositive electrical source in the stimulation generator to the switchingunit.
 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: directlyconnecting each of a second plurality of negative electrical sources inthe stimulation generator to a different one of a second plurality ofelectrode nodes; connecting a second switching unit in the stimulationgenerator to each of the second plurality of electrode nodes; andconnecting at least one additional positive electrical source in thestimulation generator to the second switching unit.
 17. The method ofclaim 15, wherein the switching unit comprises at least one multiplexer.18. The method of claim 15, wherein the stimulation generator comprisesa pulse generator, and wherein the plurality of negative electricalsources and the at least one positive electrical source are eachselected from a group consisting of a current source and a voltagesource.
 19. A method, comprising: using an electrode node combinationfor an implantable stimulator that includes a first set of one or moreelectrode nodes that are each connected to an anode, wherein theelectrode node combination further includes a second set of one or moreelectrode nodes that are each connected to a cathode; configuring aswitching unit in a stimulation generator to connect at least onepositive electrical source in the stimulation generator to the first setof one or more electrode nodes; activating the at least one positiveelectrical source; and activating at least one negative electricalsource in the stimulation generator, wherein the at least one negativeelectrical source is directly connected to the second set of one or moreelectrode nodes.
 20. The method of claim 19, further comprisingdeactivating at least one additional negative electrical source that isconnected to the first set of one or more electrode nodes.
 21. Themethod of claim 19, wherein the at least one positive electrical sourcecomprises a plurality of positive electrical sources, wherein the firstset of one or more electrode nodes comprises a first plurality ofelectrode nodes, and wherein the method comprises configuring theswitching unit to connect each of the plurality of positive electricalsources to a selected one of the first plurality of electrode nodes. 22.The method of claim 19, further comprising: using a second electrodenode combination for the implantable stimulator that includes a thirdset of one or more electrode nodes that are each connected to an anode,wherein the second electrode node combination further includes a fourthset of one or more electrode nodes that are each connected to a cathode;configuring a second switching unit in the stimulation generator toconnect at least one additional positive electrical source in thestimulation generator to the third set of one or more electrode nodes;activating the at least one additional positive electrical source; andactivating at least one additional negative electrical source in thestimulation generator, wherein the at least one additional negativeelectrical source is directly connected to the fourth set of one or moreelectrode nodes.
 23. The method of claim 19, wherein the switching unitcomprises at least one multiplexer.
 24. The method of claim 19, whereinthe stimulation generator comprises a pulse generator, and wherein theat least one negative electrical source and the at least one positiveelectrical source are each selected from a group consisting of a currentsource and a voltage source.
 25. An apparatus, comprising: means forusing an electrode node combination for an implantable stimulator thatincludes a first set of one or more electrode nodes that are eachconnected to an anode, wherein the electrode node combination furtherincludes a second set of one or more electrode nodes that are eachconnected to a cathode; means for configuring a switching unit in astimulation generator to connect at least one positive electrical sourcein the stimulation generator to the first set of one or more electrodenodes; means for activating the at least one positive electrical source;and means for activating at least one negative electrical source in thestimulation generator, wherein the at least one negative electricalsource is connected to the second set of one or more electrode nodes.